Dragons Assistant Coach Rob Appleyard was the first member of the Dragons coaching staff to walk around the new Bisley Stand last week and saw firsthand the major update taking place. The first phase of the redevelopment includes new hospitality facilities, restaurants and bars. It is due to be completed in time for the 2011/12 season and Appleyard is clear on what this development means to the players at Rodney Parade.
“I think the Dragons have been knocked quite often for the facilities, saying that we're the poor relation of the four regions. The redevelopment brings us a notch higher to where the other regions are. Of course, we still have the grassroots aspect of Rodney Parade which continues to be our home. The atmosphere and history are still here but we also need to keep up with the mod-cons and make sure that we can give the players a professional environment to perform at their best on the field.”
Appleyard, the rest of the coaching staff and the players will definitely be feeling the pressure. With new sponsorships and more seats to fill, the Dragons will need to perform with what there were signs of last season.
“With Darren taking over as head coach we definitely got our sights on improving our team on the field. The summer so far has been very productive - some of our youngsters who are coming through our system are really holding their heads up and training very well. Our new signings are really living up to the reputations they had and we're looking forward to having a stronger squad in depth. We've always had a good front-line team and we're looking now to be able to utilize the squad completely, especially with five players away in the Welsh squad and potentially going to the World Cup. We like to think we could start the season strong and I think there's a good buzz around the whole club.”
Although the Dragons traditionally do well in World Cup year, with six Dragons potentially going to New Zealand, this season will certainly be a challenge fot the region, but one that the coaching team are looking forward to.
“I think we want to get as many players into the Welsh squad as possible. It raises the profile of the Dragons as a region and it's going to attract not only new players, but sponsors and supporters as well who want to watch the players when they return to the squad. Having the boys in the national team is a positive thing.”
It is also a personal thing for Appleyard himself: now a full time member of staff on the Dragons coaching team he's committed to the future of the squad.
“I'm doing defence with the team and it's something we're always looking to improve. We finished seventh in the League and we're looking at improving our standing as a top half of the table team. That's something I'm targeting and something Darren is very passionate about are our standards - not just in attacking play but also in our defensive game as well. Definitely next season is going to be something that everyone involved is going to be excited to see how it actually pans out.”
